Bangkok, Thailand – A Chinese tourist was robbed of 46,000 baht on October 23 after three men posing as police staged a fake inspection in Huai Khwang, authorities said.
Staged stop in front of hotel
The victim, identified as Lyu Wanyuan, was standing with two friends under a bridge in front of a hotel on Ratchadaphisek Road when a grey SUV pulled up beside them, police said. One man, whom Lyu later described as “not Thai-looking,” claimed to be a police officer and demanded the group hand over a bag for a search. A second man in the vehicle posed as a Chinese interpreter.
While the suspects pretended to inspect the bag, the man posing as an officer grabbed the cash and the trio fled in the SUV, according to the victim’s account to police.
GPS leads to swift arrest
Prasopchok Iampinij, head of the Huai Khwang police station, ordered an immediate pursuit of the vehicle. Investigators discovered the grey SUV had been rented and was fitted with a GPS tracker, which officers used to follow the vehicle.
Later that same day officers located the car at a petrol station in Si Racha district of Chon Buri and detained one of the suspected perpetrators. Police did not release the arrested man’s identity or nationality pending further inquiries.
“The vehicle’s GPS helped us to locate the car quickly,” Prasopchok said, and the detained suspect was taken in for questioning to identify the other two men and recover the stolen funds.
Cash remains missing
The stolen sum was reported as 11,000 Hong Kong dollars, equivalent to about 46,000 baht. Police said the money had not been recovered and they believed it remained with the two accomplices who fled the scene.
Authorities said the detained suspect was being interrogated in hopes his statements would lead to the capture of the remaining suspects and recovery of the cash.
Pattern of impostor crimes targeting tourists
Police noted this was not an isolated incident. In early October an Iraqi man who posed as a police officer reportedly extorted 9,700 baht from two Indian nationals in Pattaya. In June, two Thai men were accused of abducting an Indian national in Sing Buri province and demanding a ransom. In those previous cases investigators also relied on closed-circuit cameras to identify and arrest suspects.
The police advised tourists to be cautious: real officers will always show official identification and should not conduct searches without witnesses or in secluded locations. Visitors were urged to contact the Tourist Police at 1155 if they had doubts or needed immediate assistance.